


Invisible String

by giantpanda



Series: What if... [6]
Category: The Good Doctor (TV 2017)
Genre: Canon Rewrite, F/M, Fix-It
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-31
Updated: 2020-07-31
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:54:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,761
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25633915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/giantpanda/pseuds/giantpanda
Summary: What if Neil and Claire had meet before she was his resident?  He thinks about their past after the earthquake.
Relationships: Claire Browne/Neil Melendez
Series: What if... [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1799092
Comments: 14
Kudos: 39





	Invisible String

**Author's Note:**

> I'm a little unsure about this story. I don't know where this idea came from, but it wouldn't leave me alone. I'm not sure where Claire went to medical school, but for this story I needed her to be close to San Jose.

_“And isn’t it just so pretty to think  
All along there was some  
invisible string tying you to me?”  
Invisible String by Taylor Swift_

Neil realized that he was dying. As a doctor he knew everything that was happening to him and how difficult it would be to fix. Part of him had made peace with it. He wasn’t afraid to die. What scared him was what he would be leaving behind, and everything that he didn’t get to do. Both of those things were wrapped up in her. He had so many regrets when it came to Claire. Things they had never talked about, feelings they had never shared, a past too long ignored. And he had sent her away. He knew what she was going to say, and he couldn’t let her. He couldn’t bear to hear those words when shortly he would be saying goodbye. And yet all he wanted was her by his side.

He allowed himself a moment to think of a time he rarely thought about. A time when he was still a resident and had met a pretty medical student in a bar. He had just lost a patient, his first when he was lead surgeon. He had gone to drown his grief in alcohol, not expecting to find a beautiful singer on the small stage. Even now he could still remember how it felt like she was singing just to him. He remembered how he felt all the emotion from the song in her voice.

When she had left the stage, he hesitated for a moment before following her. He stumbled over his words trying to tell her what hearing her sing had made him feel. Somehow, she had gotten him to reveal his regret and pain over losing his patient. She had revealed that she was a medical student singing for money to pay for things not covered by scholarships. He had felt a comfort with her that he hadn’t felt in a long time. They had spoken for a while before going back to his apartment.

He was pulled from his thoughts as Claire entered his room, just as beautiful as the first time he saw her in the bar. Despite having worked together for three years, neither have ever brought up that night. Neil knew it wouldn’t impact his ability to be her boss or mentor but didn’t want anyone else questioning it. He was also engaged when Claire started her residency and didn’t want to have that conversation with Jessica. Part of him always wondered if Claire even remembered it at all. She had given no indication that she recognized him. As they had grown closer the past few months, she had mentioned how she didn’t have relationships with men and used them to feel better. She never mentioned it and neither did he.

He watched as Claire moved to sit in the chair beside his bed. He allowed himself a moment to look at her. Her eyes were red from crying, her exhaustion obvious. He wished that he could do something to take away her pain.

“We have an idea,” she said softly. “It’s risky and it might not work, but,” she wiped away a tear. “But it’s all we have.”

“Okay,” he said. He knew whatever the idea was he would take a chance. He would much rather try a risky procedure then sit here waiting to die.

“Don’t you want to hear the idea?”

“Whose idea was it?”

“Mine,” she whispered.

“That’s all I need to know,” he said, reaching for her hand. “I’ll do it.”

Her eyes filled with tears as she looked away. “It might not work.”

He squeezed her hand drawing her gaze back to his. “If it’s your idea, then I know it’s brilliant.”

“Neil,” she said shaking her head.

“It’s going to be okay.”

“You can’t know that.”

He took a shaky breath. “No matter what happens, you are going to be okay.”

She shook her head but didn’t argue with him. “I need to tell you something.”

“Me too. I’ll go first.”

She glanced towards the door. He knew that they would be taking him into surgery soon, and while he had complete faith in Claire, he wanted to know if she remembered that night so long ago.

He sighed, unsure how to mention it after all this time. “You’re an amazing singer.”

“Thank you,” she said leaning back in the chair. “I didn’t think you remembered.”

He laughed. “I wasn’t sure you did. You never mentioned it.”

“Neither did you,” she took his hand again, running her fingers against the back of it. “You’re my boss, what did you want me to say?”

He thought about it for a moment. What could she have said to him that would’ve have made their working relationship difficult? Had he just wanted to know if she thought about it as much as he did? How sometimes he wondered if they could’ve been something then? He was saved from answering as Audrey walked in the room. Claire quickly moved her hand away from his. He missed it already.

“Are you ready?” Audrey asked.

He nodded, he was as ready as he could be. He hoped that he would get the chance to finish his conversation with Claire, a chance at a future with her.

Claire stood. “I’ll be watching from the gallery.”

“Why?” he asked. “I want you in the OR with me.”

Audrey stepped closer. “We discussed that, and we don’t think it would be a good idea.”

He glanced between them both. He wanted Claire by his side. If the procedure wasn’t going to work, then he wanted her eyes to be the last thing he saw before he closed his.

“My surgery, my choice. I want all of the best surgeons working on me.”

Sighing Audrey agreed. “Claire go get ready.”

As she turned to leave, Neil called out to her, “You didn’t tell me what you wanted to say.”

She hesitated before answering, “I’ll tell you after the surgery.”

He watched her as she walked out of the room. She had given him even more motivation to fight to live.

Audrey shook her head. “Are you still going to deny that there is something between you two?”

“No,” he answered honestly. “That will be another conversation for after surgery.”

She walked over to him and took his hand. “I look forward to it.”

Audrey left as the nurses came to bring him down to the OR. He was nervous. He trusted his coworkers to do everything they could to help him survive, but he was a doctor himself and knew the risks. He regretted now that he didn’t have more time with Claire before the surgery.

As he waited in the OR for the anesthesia to take effect, he found Claire. He kept his eyes on her as his eyes drifted closed for what he hoped wasn’t the last time.

He dreamed as he’s unconscious. A mixture of memories and wishes for the future. He dreamed of that night years ago when he took her home and they had lost themselves in each other. He dreamed of surgeries, dinners, runs, everything they have done together at the hospital. He dreamed of chance to tell her how he felt about her. He dreamed about a wedding and a family. He dreamed of growing older with her by his side.

He had lost all sense of time when he finally opens his eyes again. The loud beeping of the monitor and the ache in his abdomen let him know that the surgery was a success. He felt a tear run down his face in relief. He turned his head and found Claire asleep in the chair beside his bed. He watched her for a moment. He no longer was filled with regret because he knew he would have time for everything that he wanted. He moved to reach out and touch her hand and groaned as the moment pulled at the stitches. Claire woke instantly at the noise.

“Are you okay?” she asked, her eyes searching his for any sign of pain.

“I’m fine.”

“Neil,” she said. “How are you really?”

“Pain means I’m alive. I’m fine.” He reached for her hand and she took it, squeezing gently. “How are the numbers?”

“Much better,” she smiled.

He loved the way her smile lit up her whole face. He could get used to seeing that smile for the rest of his life.

“I told you, everything would be okay.” He intertwined their fingers together. “What did you want to tell me before?”

“I wanted to tell you,” her voice shook, “I love you.”

A feeling of peace settled over him at her words. He felt as if he had loved her for so long, he was relived to know that she felt the same. That his dreams of the future could happen.

“I love you too,” he said softly.

She moved to rest her head against his chest. Her beautiful smile on her face. He carefully lifted his hands to caress the side of her head. His hands gently tangling in the curls on her head. He again thought back on that day in his apartment.

“I never thought I’d get to do this again.” Her eyes drifted closed as he continued to play with her hair. “Do you ever think about that night?”

She sighed. He could feel her exhaustion as she rested against him. “More than I should.”

“Do you ever wonder what might have happened if things had been different then?”

He wondered what would have happened if he had convinced her to stay, or if he had just gotten her phone number before she left.

She opened her eyes and looked up at him. “Sometimes, but it wouldn’t have worked then.”

“Why not?”

“I wasn’t ready then.”

“And now?”

She sat up and leaned over to brush her lips against his in a gentle kiss. “Now I am.”

He sighed in relief as she settled back against his chest. He knew that they had a lot more to talk about, but for now he was content to know that they were on the same page of wanting each other. He realized that she was right that a relationship between them wouldn’t have worked them, but now they were ready for whatever the future would bring them. It wouldn’t always be easy, but he knew it would be worth it. And he couldn’t wait to see what would happen.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! I really appreciate it.


End file.
